The Facebook mess and what you can do to protect yourself

Last week I discussed the Facebook mess, and hopefully you have given some serious thought about what has happened. If so, you might need to know some details of some of the actions you can take.

Review and audit your Facebook third-party apps

For Facebook users, the Cambridge Analytica controversy is a grim reminder that no matter how careful you are with your online profiles, your information is still being used, cataloged, tracked, monetized and analyzed by a number of companies out there.

In this case, analytics firm Cambridge Analytica is being accused of having acquired a treasure trove of Facebook users' data by way of a third-party app that served as a personality test. The company is said to have used this data to influence political campaigns. That revelation, along with the very idea of the site being used to mine information, may be enough to get some to rethink whether or not they actually want to be on Facebook.

2. On the Apps Settings page, to disable ALL third-party app access with one click, turn off Facebook's Platform.

Desktop: Click "Edit" on the "Apps, Websites and Plugins" then choose "Disable Platform."

Deactivating your Facebook account

1. Log into your Facebook account. In the upper right-hand corner of the home screen is a downward facing triangle.

2. Click on the triangle. That will open up a drop-down menu with a few different options. You will want to click on "Settings."

3. Settings will open up a new page with more places to click. At the bottom of the list is an option to "Deactivate Your Account." Hover over that box and click.

4. That click will expand the box, making room for text explaining what deactivating your account will and will not do. If at this point you still want to go through with it, click on the blue text that says "Deactivate your account."

5. From there, Facebook will ask you to enter your password. It makes sense -- they want to make sure you are the only person who can deactivate your account.

6. Once you have entered your password, Facebook will give you one more chance to change your mind. It will even try and lay a guilt trip on you, picking a random group of people and saying they will miss you when you go. If you can resist, it then asks for your reasons for leaving. In this case, you'll want to click on "Other" before explaining further in the space provided. An easy answer would be to say you "need a break."

Congrats! Your Facebook has been deactivated. That does not mean you cannot return to it, of course, but for now, your profile will no longer exist. While doing this, you will also want to make sure you opt out of receiving future emails from Facebook.

Deleting your Facebook account

Deleting your account means permanently erasing everything you have ever put on Facebook. Your account will cease to exist. If that is your goal, then here is how to do it.

Step 1: Download your data

Put simply, Facebook does not want you to leave. The company's global reach is thorough and intense, and the last thing they want is to lose a friend.

As a parting gift, Facebook allows you to download all of your personal data. This is a very easy process: You just go to Settings >> General Account Settings >> Download a copy of your Facebook data >> Start My Archive.

If you ever decide to change your mind, Facebook will be more than happy to help you repopulate a new account with all your old digital furnishings.

Step 2: Request to delete account

Unfortunately, you cannot just flip a switch and be done with it. You have to ask Facebook to delete your account.

You will find the sad and lonely-looking page here. The rest of the process is pretty simple: Just follow the indicated steps.

Step 3: Wait

This is the weirdest part of deleting your Facebook account: It does not happen right away. Your friends cannot see your page. Your feed will stop interacting with others. But your account is still there, hoping you will come back and show it some love.

If you do attempt to log in, the deletion process will stop immediately, and you will have to start all over.

Incredibly, the whole process of deleting your account will take up to 90 days. But once those three months are over, Facebook should have removed all your information: Every status, picture, anniversary and relationship will vanish from the internet, as if it never existed.

Step 4: Cleaning up afterward

Just because your account is closed does not mean that traces of your activity do not linger. Your messages will remain in other people's inboxes. Photos that were copied from your albums may appear in other people's feeds.

There is nothing you can do about these remaining bits, except ask people nicely to remove them or just pray they were not embarrassing.

Free Windows Seminar

There will be a Free Windows seminar to be held on Monday, April 30 at from 9:00-11:00am in the Grand Canyon Ballroom at the Eureka. Advanced sign-up is required. You can sign-up by calling 702-346-4217.

The topics for this third installment of the Windows Seminar series will cover Purchasing a New Printer, Additional Windows 10 Features, Backing-up Your System. Sitting is limited.

The fourth installment of the seminar series is under preparation and is scheduled for May 21, so save that date. The primary topic is the Redstone 4 release of Windows 10 that is being released in April.

Stay protected!

George Cox is the owner of Computer Diagnostics and Repair. He can be reached at 702-346-4217.